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As ever, though, there are some potential compromises to be made in the name of progress, and ball end hex keys are no exception: unlike the most basic and cheapest Allen key sets, you won’t be able to recondition or ‘trim’ a worn ball point hex key without losing access to this additional feature entirely. Using them is remarkably simple - you just insert one end of the driver into the recessed hexagonal fastener head, and apply torque at the other end to turn it.
There are numerous Allen key types sold on today’s market, many of which adhere very closely to the fundamental early design blueprint.Hex keys have a number of important characteristics that make them particularly well suited to the straightforward, user-friendly fastening role that has made them so popular among operators of all experience levels.
In short, a ball end hex key features a rounded hexagonal bulb at the driving end, as opposed to the standard flat hexagonal profile you’ll find on the majority of more basic models. Although there’s always some potential for confusion wherever two different terms are used for the same item, in this case it’s pretty straightforward - to all practical intents and purposes, hex keys/wrenches and Allen keys are indeed essentially the same thing. While most people will know exactly what’s meant by this, there’s some potential for confusion here too: industry standards dictate that the term ‘hex head’ is far more commonly used in reference to driven parts (i.A solid, high quality hex wrench or Allen key set will potentially last many years and prove useful time and time again, whereas lower-grade ‘freebie’ tools are much more likely to be severely limited in both their adaptability to other tasks and overall longevity in frequent use.